A longtime Tamaqua Borough employee has announced she will be retiring after a 33-year career with the borough's housing rehabilitation program.

Council accepted a letter of intent to retire from Margaret Marino at Tuesday night's regular meeting. Marino said her retirement will be effective June 1. Council members praised the job Marino has done, facilitating the borough's revolving loan program that has helped many residents with a low-interest loan to fix up their properties."She has really done a nice job," said Council President Micah Gursky. Gursky said that when funding for the program became available in the 1980s and 90s, many communities spent their money while Tamaqua created the revolving loan fund."She has helped a lot of residents, and the collection rate on the loans is remarkable," he said. The borough has continued to receive money to help with demolition and rehabilitation through the annual CDBG funds. However, these funds have been continuously declining over the years.Council will be holding its first hearing for the proposed 2014 CDBG funds before the regular meeting on May 15.Borough manager Kevin Steigerwalt advised council there has been in-house interest in the current vacant position at the water distribution plant, which will create an additional opening in the street department. There has been no interest in transfer to the street department from anyone currently employed by the borough, so the position will be advertised. Council approved the permanent transfer of Bud Comisac to the meter reader position, pending the completion of his 30-day trial period.The parking and traffic committee had several recommendations that were approved by council. Handicap parking spaces were approved for 300 N. Elizabeth St. and 32 N. Greenwood St. No Parking signs will be installed on both the north and south sides of Orwigsburg Street between Hunter and Cherry streets.The parking and traffic committee also recommended relocating a loading/unloading sign that is currently in front of 30 W. Broad St., the vacant property that was formerly Bittner's General Store, to 46 W. Broad St., the current address of Reigel Plumbing and Heating. The proposal led to a lengthy discussion.Councilman Tom Cara questioned why the move was being considered when several other businesses in the area, including La Dolce Casa restaurant, have made similar requests and been denied. Councilman Dan Evans, the head of the parking and traffic committee, said he was aware of the other requests, but said there is a traffic hazard being created by trucks parking on Hunter Street to load and unload.Police Chief Rick Weaver concurred with the proposal to alleviate the hazard on Hunter Street. Gursky said he had no trouble moving the zone from a vacant storefront to an occupied one. The proposal passed with Cara and councilwoman Kerry Dowd-Lasky voting against it.Council approved a one-year lease agreement with Alute LLC, 300 E. Broad St., for the operation of the Bungalow Park concession stand.